QINGDAO, April 24 (Xinhua) - The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) navy has submitted applications to host the 2024 meeting of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), a navy commander said on Thursday.

Ding Yiping, deputy commander of the PLA navy, said at a press conference that the PLA navy will continue to engage in WPNS activities hosted by other countries, which he believes will promote mutual understanding and pursue win-win results.

The announcement was made after China successfully hosted the 2014 meeting of the WPNS from April 22 to 23 in the naval port of Qingdao. The Qingdao meeting was the first time that China, one of the symposium's 12 founding members, has hosted the biennial event.

The WPNS was established in 1987 with the goals of promoting pragmatic cooperation between the navies of its member countries, strengthening mutual understanding and trust, and jointly safeguarding regional maritime security. The WPNS held its first meeting in 1988.

Comprising navies whose countries border the Pacific Ocean region, the WPNS now has 21 member countries and four observers.